Lagos reads riot act to land charge defaulters

Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi flanked by the Permanent Secretary, Tunde Ogunleye (left) and his counterpart in the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Fola Adeyemi; during a press briefing on Land Use charge at Alausa, Ikeja…yesterday.

Irked by alleged defaults in Land Use charge by property owners in the state, the Lagos State government has threatened to wield the big stick by sealing properties of defaulters.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Lagos, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, who read the riot act, disclosed that government had put in place a number of payment options, including banks, Land Use Charge offices, especially for residents using cash, POS or other online payment channels via credit and debit cards.

Akinkunmi, who apologised for the delay in the distribution of the bills this year owing to the need to clean up the data, noted that government would also consider prosecution besides the sealing of premises.

He clarified hinted that landlords, and not tenants, are to pay the charge, cautioning against patronage of touts.The commissioner said despite the delay in the delivery of the bills, tax payers were still entitled to the usual 15 per cent discounted rate if payment is effected within 15 days of receipt, while those who missed the 15-day grace but did not exceed 30 calendar days would pay the actual amount.

“Failure to do that would attract penalty from the 45th day after bill delivery, with possibility of upward review of the payment, while affected properties in such category would be sealed and owners be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“Payment of Land Use Charge is a requirement of law and property tax. Defaulters will have their properties sealed and are liable to be prosecuted in court,” Akinkunmi asserted.

He said the process of payment had been fully automated, adding that the percentage payable based on owner-occupied is 0.0394 per cent of the value of the property, while the percentage for industrial, educational and residential properties occupied by owners and third parties is 0.132 per cent.
Commercial and residential properties occupied by third parties, according to Akinkunmi, would pay 0.394 per cent value of the assets.